MIRG in the Baltic Sea

‘MIRG’ (the Maritime Incident Response Group) is a term used internationally to refer to specially trained and equipped rescue teams that can be used to support the crew's emergency response efforts during incidents on ships at sea. The most typical MIRG operations are assisting with dealing with ship fires or chemical hazards, but MIRG units may also be called on to handle a variety of damage prevention tasks, evacuation support, or medical first aid tasks.

The Baltic Sea MIRG project, led by the Finnish Border Guard, is currently ongoing in Europe. It has the aim of developing shared coordination and operating models for MIRG teams in Baltic region countries. Shared models would boost operational efficiency and improve occupational safety during serious maritime incidents requiring input from different countries. The Baltic Sea MIRG project is also collating existing MIRG training programmes and supporting the harmonisation of MIRG services across Europe.

The project began on 1 December 2014 and will run to 31 December 2016. It involves cooperation with representatives of maritime search and rescue and emergency services from countries providing or developing MIRG services.